High Country Local First & Lettuce Learn to offer $2,500 in school garden funding. For every Local First Rewards Card sold, High Country Local First (HCLF) donates $5 to support local school garden programs in Watauga and Ashe Counties. Farm-to-school grant awards to total $2,500 will be given to local schools and preschools interested in building or expanding their garden-based education programming. Lettuce Learn is helping to manage the 2016 grant program in hopes of assisting schools and teachers with implementation, program sustainability, and professional development.

﻿Funds are for direct support of school garden programs, including but not limited to:

Purchase of seeds, plants, supplies, or equipment

Stipends for Garden Coordinators

Professional development opportunities

Garden curriculum

Supplies and materials for projects that enhance connections between the school garden and the classroom, cafeteria, waste reduction program, or local farms and farmers.

*We will send a confirmation email once we receive your application. If you DO NOT receive confirmation, please contact us right away to ensure nothing is lost in cyberspace or snail mail.Contact Courtney Baines Smith with questions:LettuceLearnProject@gmail.com828-262-7313

Hardin Park's 6th Grade Science Garden, one of the 2015 awardees, utilizes worm castings donations from Roots of Progress for their new garden.